Terrorism fills the void

Which incident belongs at the top of the list of the most important things that have happened since Greece officially entered the economic crisis? As the eighth year draws to a close and we celebrate our entry into a ninth that looks poised to be underwhelming in several ways, what stands out? In an interview with Kathimerini a few days ago, Paris-based Greek filmmaker Costa-Gavras said that the Greek crisis and the country's real impoverishment can be summed up by the 500,000 young men and women who have left in search of work elsewhere. "Poverty is when there is no future," he said.

Pondering his words, I ask myself whether anything has been done in those eight years to reverse the brain drain into a brain gain, and come up empty. The brain drain has been lamented and reviled by a succession of governments and ruling politicians; promises have been made to move heaven and...